


A Minor Miscalculation

by Melusine11



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben goes shopping, Ben is a good boyfriend, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Menstruation, Rey appreciates it, he means well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-17 16:29:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18102221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melusine11/pseuds/Melusine11
Summary: When Rey runs out of supplies while suffering crippling cramps, Ben goes to the store to help...who knew there were so many choices?





	A Minor Miscalculation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [commandercrouton](https://archiveofourown.org/users/commandercrouton/gifts).



> For Commandercrouton, who wondered what gentle giant Plaidam would be like shopping for Rey's period needs. Big thanks also to [VeriLee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeriLee/pseuds/VeriLee) for chatting the scenario through with us.
> 
> I wrote this up quick, so it's not beta read, but I gave it a quick edit, but I apologize in advance for any errors you might find.

_This is too much responsibilit_ y, he thinks, staring wide-eyed at the options in front of him. 

When Rey had texted him before lunch on a Friday that she needed help he immediately told his boss he was done for the day, _the week_ and called her before he was even out of the office.

“I’m fine,” she groaned after his greeting of _‘what’s wrong?!’_ “I - this is gonna sound so stupid, but my period came like it always does, but I ran out of stuff and I hurt too much to go get it.”

He had agreed to get whatever she needed without a second thought. Rey doesn’t get cramps often, but when she does, they’re the ‘take you out of commission’ kind. The ‘Motrin and heat pack are doing minimal work to relieve the aches’ kind. 

So now here he is, at the Target five minutes away from home staring down an aisle of pinks and blues and yellows and purples and clearly, he has miscalculated his knowledge. If he closes his eyes, he can almost make out the box she keeps tucked beneath their bathroom sink, but… _why are there so many choices. Surely they all did the same thing._

She had texted him her preferred brand, but that was it. He appreciated her confidence in him, but they both miscalculated.

“Sorry,” he says, with a closed-mouth smile, jolted out of his rising panicked musings by a woman trying to get through. He shifts the cart to the side so she can pass, tries to watch what she chooses and then determines that’s _weird_. So he does the next best thing.

“Ben?” She answers on the second ring.

“Hi, mom,” he sighs, shoving a hand into the front pocket of his jeans and leaning an elbow on the handle of the cart, “I need some help if you have a minute.” Fuck, why is this awkward? Is it awkward? No, fuck that. He’s only mildly chagrined that he has to call his _mom_ of all people for help with this.

“If you got arrested again, Ben I don’t want to hear it.”

“No!” He hisses, pinching the bridge of his nose before trying again, “no, that’s not what I’m calling about, and I really wish you would let that go, it was a misunderstanding,” he can hear his mother take a breath, likely gearing up for another lecture, so he quickly cuts her off. “Look. I’m at the store, and I need to buy stuff for Rey,” he drops his voice, even though he is in the aisle with other people who are here for the same thing. “You know, for a period.”

He has to pull the phone away from his ear when she starts laughing.

“So dramatic, Ben,” she teases once she has calmed down. 

Ben huffs, digging the toe of his worn work boot into the tile. “I’m not. I just… there’s so my choices? Why? She told me the brand, but mom. There’s scented, unscented, and all of these sizes? What the fuck does flow mean exactly?” His mother is laughing again. “Can you help or not? Because I’m not bothering Rey.” And he means it, she had barely been coherent when he was trying to extract the information from her. Plus, she said she was going to go lay in the shower and see if using the shower head to pelt hot water at her abdomen would help. He thought knowing the brand would have been enough.

He growls when Leia continues to laugh, attracting the stares of the others around him. “Mom, stop laughing and help, people are starting to stare.” And really, why wouldn’t they. How often does a 6’3” man, looking like the long lost (better looking) brother of the brawny man beg his mom over the phone in the tampon aisle? “You know what, never mind. I can figure this out myself.”

He hangs up the phone and puts it in his back pocket. Then pulls at the sleeves of his red flannel, more out of nerves than anything. He can do this.

Several minutes later he is exiting the aisle, bottom of the cart filled with one of everything from her preferred brand. Then he moves to the ice cream aisle where he sweeps all the Chunky Monkey and Half-Baked pints they have into his cart. 

And as if the whole trip isn’t excessive enough he finds chocolate bars with _chips_ in them. So he picks up a whole handful and a bag of actual chips before hurrying to the front of the store.

He hesitates, almost getting into a regular line before deciding he doesn’t want to deal with the cashier’s judgemental look. What kind of shitty boyfriend doesn’t know what kind of tampons his girlfriend prefers? No, thank you. He opts for self-checkout. He’s probably, maybe buying too much. Isn’t there a limit? He looks around guiltily but it isn’t even busy; he doesn’t care.

Ten frustrating, _expensive_ minutes later he is tossing the bags into his car, then sliding into the driver's seat, phone and keys haphazardly tossed into the cup holders in the center console. He has just turned it on when his phone vibrates. A text from Rey. 

“Damn,” he frowns, she has sent him a picture of an empty box of tampons with a follow up of: _here! Just in case you need it, also can you pick up brownie mix??? xoxoxoxoxo_ 😁😘

The use of emojis when she hardly ever uses them is telling. It’s nothing to run back into the store for her.

When he pushes through their front door, laden with all the bags from his trip, he finds her in the living room, lights off, tv on, eyes closed, sprawled across the couch in one of his old shirts with the heating pad over her stomach.

“You get lost, Solo?” She asks, eyes opening and the blinking, “Ben, what?” She sits up with a wince.

“Okay, so uh, I wasn’t sure exactly what to get you, so I got all of it.” The look she gives him is one of disbelief as he drops everything by the couch, then she laughs. Harder than his mom had laughed, that’s for sure, and he turns away so she can’t see him blushing.

“Ben, oh, wait! Ben, why, there’s so much ice cream here too?” She’s still laughing, though not as hard as she digs through the bounty before her. “Okay, so ice cream for dinner, because I really don’t think this will all fit in the freezer.” Another guffaw as he unlaces his boots and kicks them off, placing them by the door. “I’ll be right back,” she snorts, and he turns in time to watch her shuffle down the hall to the bathroom, a box tucked under her arm.

While she is gone Ben retrieves the bags of food, cramming as much into the freezer as he can, then setting the rest on the counter, laying the chocolate, chips, and brownie mix out next to it.

When she emerges she eyes the bags still in the living room with a smile and then crossed the room to him, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in the well-worn fabric. “Thank you,” she says, sagging against him when his arms come up to hug her back. “You’re the best.” He rolls his eyes, because, frankly, he feels like a fool about how overboard her went, but really, he would do anything for her.

“I don’t know about that, but you’re very welcome.” He kisses the top of her head and then she leans back so she can kiss him. 

“Love you,” she whispers against his mouth, before pressing another kiss there.

“Love you too. How can I help?” His hands drag down, then under his shirt she has claimed to lay one palm gently across her stomach beneath her belly button.

“Mmm, that’s nice, your hand is warm.”

They spend the afternoon catching up on shows and eating junk food. Rey props her feet in his lap while they lounge, heating pack back in place, while the brownies bake. She had tried eating the batter, but Ben shooed her from the kitchen after she stuck her finger in the bowl a third time. He lets her lick the spatula though, much to her delight.

“We should donate everything,” she says later while they’re in bed. He has her body pulled flush with his because he loves holding her close, but also so he can keep his warm hands against her, rubbing gently, soothing her as much as he can.

“A good idea,” he agrees, mouth against her shoulder. She whimpers quietly, shifting against him. “Okay?”

“Mmm, yeah, just, I hate it.” He presses a bit harder and she sighs, “just don’t stop, please?”

He kisses her neck with a smile, “never.”

She’s better in the morning, coffee already made when he stumbles, bleary-eyed from their bedroom. She smiles at him, pulling a finger from her mouth, “morning.” she pushes a bowl towards him, his plaid shirt from yesterday falls down her arm and he laughs watching her push it back up to no avail.

“Brownies and ice cream?” he asks, accepting the bowl and the spoon she’s now offering him.

“I have my period, plus we’re adults, that means we can eat whatever the hell we want for breakfast.” she cradles her own bowl in her hand covered with the shirtsleeve.

“Whatever you say, Rey.” She does a little happy dance of victory as he eats, then sits down next to him, playfully bumping her shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

“Good, better, thank you again. You’re my hero,” she says around a bite, he rolls his eyes. “I called your mom, got the address of the women's shelter Amilyn runs. So after breakfast, we can load up the car and drop off the surplus.”

“Sounds good,” he confirms. He snorts into his bowl, imagining what Amilyn will have to say about what he did, positive his mother has already called her about it, but he glances over at Rey, viciously mashing up her brownie and ice cream so it’s more like a soup, and he smiles. Totally worth it.


End file.
